From Doldrums to Delight
February is one of those months when we often find ourselves searching for new ways to prepare many of the same organic produce items we’ve been buying for a few months. We’ve roasted organic Brussels sprouts, baked organic butternut squash and sweet potatoes, and made hearty vegetable soups, but even comfort foods can lose their appeal over time. It’s also a time when leftovers may not seem quite as tempting as they did when the meal was first made.
That feeling hit me as I peered into the fridge, wondering what to make for dinner. I spotted some previously baked organic red Kuri squash, a medium yellow onion, a head of broccoli, and a container of breadcrumbs, and inspiration struck.
I washed and cut the broccoli into florets, coated them with a light spray of olive oil, added a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, then tossed them and put them into the oven to roast. I sautéed the onion until it was translucent and tender, removed the squash from its skin, and added both to the food processor along with some melted butter.
Once the mixture was smooth, I transferred it to an oil-coated casserole dish, topped it with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, and baked it at 400° F for about 30 minutes, until the mixture was heated through, and the breadcrumbs were nicely browned. This was also the perfect amount of time for the broccoli to roast to perfection. What a wonderful way to turn the “what’s for dinner” doldrums into an “Oh my goodness, I’ve got to make this again!” surprise.
This experience got me thinking about how I tend to place certain fruits and vegetables into fixed categories for mealtime. That habit is often where my enthusiasm for cooking gets stuck. When I break out of those categories, however, a whole new world opens.
That’s where my old friend Chef Jesse Ziff Cool’s Winter Squash Pancakes really shine. I would never have thought to add winter squash to my regular Sunday pancake routine, but when I thought it through, it made perfect sense. If you offered someone pumpkin pancakes, they would most likely say “yum!”. So why not try organic butternut or honey nut squash? It’s logical and delicious.
Give it a try. Take a look in your fridge, step outside the box of preparing Melissa’s Organic produce the same way you always have, and let a new, tasty world open up before you.
